


Maybe it's just Love

by mirilik



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Declarations Of Love, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Implied Smut, M/M, and they are both a bit oblivious, bandana project, but jay helps them and yeah, but larry endgame, but no actual smut, harry is a cute fucker, partly elounor, sorry about that, they get it right, you know how it is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 18:27:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3259862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirilik/pseuds/mirilik
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They both knew from the beginning that there's more than friendship. And they both knew that a relationship just wouldn't work out. So they kept being best friends and moved on.<br/>Which doesn't mean though, that they are able to ignore the heavy tension between them...</p><p>Or the one where Harry participates in the "Bandana Project" and Louis is really, really endeared</p>
            </blockquote>





	Maybe it's just Love

**Author's Note:**

> I acutally just wanted to write something about the blue bandana Harry wore a bit of time and got carried away.  
> anyways, please notice that the Bandana Project was a real thing and the credit goes to the girls who started it! I don't own the idea of it!  
> CHECK OUT THE PROJECT! [ TUMBLR ](http://bandanaproject.tumblr.com/)  
> [ TWITTER ](https://twitter.com/bandanaproject)
> 
> also i didn't really check the actual dates that Harry wore the bandana, i just put it how i thought it might fit..
> 
> this is all fiction, i don't own any of the characters!
> 
> sorry for any mistakes and thank you for reading it! 
> 
> loveeee to all of you <3

It’s not one of those things where both of them can say that they _didn’t know how it happened_ or _that they never really discussed it_.

They did. Discuss the whole, twisted situation. Because, let’s be real, it was really fucking obvious that there was quite a tension between Louis and Harry during Xfactor and the Up All Night - Tour.

Of course did they both know that there was something more than friendship. In the beginning they were both just so happy to finally have someone in their age (fuck the two years gap) that they could talk to without boundaries. Who accepted them just how they were. It was awesome.

And then talking developed into cuddling which developed into sharing a bed/bunk and later on a flat which developed into a no-boundaries-relationship which consisted of kisses and eventually sex. 

But they both were young and were just on edge of breaking into the music market with the band and they both knew that having a real, established relationship (a _gay_ relationship you might want to add) just wouldn’t work. 

They didn’t want to have any possible breaking points in between of the band and they really didn’t want to handle all the possible negative attention they would get.

No, that just wouldn’t happen. So they talked about it, they made sure that nobody was hurt and they both were on the same page about it.

And it worked, it really did. They still lived together, they still were best friends and Harry actually introduced Louis to Eleanor. 

And then it just went on like that. Louis was extremely happy with Eleanor, was happy that he always had someone who he would come home to and who he could love. Eleanor was always understanding that it just wasn’t possible to have a “normal” relationship but they handled it well and she was always so excited when she got the opportunity to visit her boyfriend and the others along their tour. 

They all got along well and Louis was even happier that his still best friend Harry liked her just as much.

And the good thing was, that Louis was not the only one who moved on from their little fling or whatever you like to call it. 

Harry dated quite a number of pretty and partly quite famous girls (who didn’t know Taylor Swift after all?) and in contrast to what some of their fans thought, he enjoyed quite a lot to be _the flirty one_ or _the womanizer_. Among all this fame and crazy life he still was a teenage boy after all and being wanted isn’t the worst thing, let’s be honest.

Another thing they both knew though, is, that just because they both had different partners, the tension and the affection between them wouldn’t just stop. Even the other boys knew that but they didn’t say anything. That’s a thing between Larry, how they started calling them as soon as the fans formed Larry Stylinson, much to their delight.

And that’s how it is now. Still. After roughly four years, in the middle of their “Where We Are” - tour. 

***

“This can’t just keep happening”, Louis pants, while rolling off Harry’s naked and very sweaty body. 

The other boy chuckles and runs a hand through his disheveled hair. 

“I’m single at the moment, I don’t have any problems”, Harry says lightly and tries to remember where they actually are. It’s an hotel room, that’s for sure but in what part of the world exactly?

That’s what always happens after mind blowing sex with his best friend. And if he says mind blowing he _means_ mind blowing. That’s probably one of the reasons they always fall back into each other. Both literally and figuratively. 

“Oh fuck off”, Louis grunts and they both know that he doesn’t mean it. “But I’m kinda serious over here, Haz. This is what? The third time this month?”

“You mean like the third time this week, Boobear. I’m really delighted by your still high stamina to be honest.”

“You know, playing a show and running around a much too huge stage every night is really good training for your body. You should try it.”

“Maybe I could come to your next show?”, the younger lad asks sheepishly and turns so he can pop himself on his elbows and have a better look on Louis.

He’s looking way too good for a twenty-two year old man who is just recovering from his third orgasm in one hour. Harry grins. This was some really good sex, holy shit.

“Sure, Babe”, Louis sighs defeatedly and caresses Harry’s still sweaty face with the tip of his fingers. 

They stay like that for a few seconds, enjoying the other boy’s company and feeling really content to just be with each other. That is until another thought creeps into Louis’ mind.

“Fuck”, he pants again and practically jumps out of the bed. “What day is today?”

“Erm”, Harry murmurs quite eloquently while trying to not stare too much on Louis’ bum. Really, he cherished that bum for about two hours today and he still can’t get enough. Probably never will. “Thursday, I think”, he finally blurts out and grins when he sees how Louis eyes him warily.

“Stop staring at me you pervert. And get into your clothes we have a huge fucking problem.”

Harry grunts, but still listens to his best friend and grabs his skinny jeans, that somehow landed across the lamp on the bedside table. 

“What’s the emergency?”, he asks and looks at Louis again who is already fully dressed in sweats and a jumper that might belong to Harry, a red beanie in his hand. His wild hair is the last indication to their former activities. 

“Eleanor’s coming today”, Louis presses. 

“Not my problem then”, Harry teases but knows that he shouldn’t be too jokey about it. 

With sore muscles he heaves himself fully out of the bed and crosses the room until he’s right next to the slightly shorter man. 

“Don’t stress yourself, Lou. This is nothing and it’s okay if you want for it to stop. I can leave now, if you want?”, he asks but still draws some patterns with his fingers into Louis’ clothed back.

“No”, he whines and turns to face the curly haired boy again. “No, I don’t want you to leave, Hazza. You’re my best friend and I love having you around, that’s the whole point of this, innit? That we want to keep each other around.” He sighs. “I don’t care what we do as long as we still have these times, where it’s just us, you know?”

Harry can’t help but smile at these words. Without further ado, he slings his long arms around Louis’ torso and pulls him close to his body, so he can put his nose into the crook of the older mans neck.

“I love this, too, Boo. I really do”, he says simply. And that’s that.

***

It’s a few days later, when Harry’s alone in another hotel room and absentmindedly scrolls through his tumblr account that somehow still is one of the few secrets he has. 

As a matter of principle he just follows fans who’re positive about their whole appearance. Doesn’t matter if it’s concerning their relationships or their families or, as odd as it may seem, their hair cuts. It’s just, he sees way too much hate all over the internet or even in the industry itself, that he doesn’t want to read it more than necessary. 

He uses his account mostly to check the fanart or, when he feels really cheeky, he even checks out one or two of their fanfictions. He’s always incredibly overwhelmed how talented their fans just are. And even if he can’t say personally how awesome it is, he can do it as another, friendly anonymous member of the “Directioner” fandom. 

It’s nice to have kind of a connection towards their fanbase and gives him the opportunity to read what they really like and maybe not so like. It’s the most earnest feedback he can get. 

It’s then, that a quite colourful post catches his attention. He quickly reads through it and a big smile starts spreading on his face.

“This oughta be good.”

***

“Isn’t it like, you’re supposed to wear the bandana on your head?”, Louis asks, after they tumbled backstage again. He noticed Harry’s new accessory quite early into the show and he somehow really wanted to ask him about it.

Harry shrugs. “This is fashion, Lou, nothing that you understand.”

“Oh please”, Louis grins and drops the topic although he still got a feeling that there’s something more behind it. It’s just this sparkle in Harry’s emerald eyes means normally that something’s up. He will find out, eventually. 

After a shower and a short ride, they are back at their hotel, where a smiling Eleanor is already waiting for Louis and the others.

“Hey babe”, Louis smiles back and pecks her lips shortly before he takes her hand. 

“Great show, as always”, she says and her smile widens, to Louis’ surprise actually, when Harry comes through the door and gives her tight hug.

“Been to tumblr lately?”, she asks the curly haired lad who laughs and nods.

“But psst”, he says with a wink and disappears into the elevator.

“And what was that?”, Louis asks, now very, very confused. 

“Nothing”, his girlfriend smiles and tugs him along, so they can finally have a quiet night in their hotel room. 

And if the night is a bit too quiet for Louis’ liking and he, at some point, slips out of the bed and hurries down the corridor to knock on Harry’s room, there are no witnesses. 

***

It takes another week until Louis finally solves the mystery around the blue bandana, which Harry constantly wears around his neck. Not only during their shows but he also started wearing it while walking around the city they were currently in or when he’s for example completely naked in front of Louis, who may just lie under the thin sheets of another hotel bed. Hair disheveled, body sticky from sweat and cum, and a dopey smile on his face.

Like every time there’s a small meet & greet for a few lucky (well, who wants he to kid? It’s for those who pay a ridiculous amount of money and the boys know that but.. well, that’s another discussion) fans and Louis’ quite delighted when he sees that the three girls, waiting in one of the backstage rooms aren’t in tears or screaming when they enter the room.

He loves all of their fans, he really does and he’s nobody to judge someone for their excitement when they meet their idol (even if he can’t see himself as such, even after four years of this circus) because fuck, it’s an open secret that he might has shared some tears after he met David Beckham for the first time. But this is one of these evenings that he needs some time to relax and no more high pitch screams in his ears.

They talk a bit with the girls, take tons of photos and scribble their autographs on every possible surface they like (but NOT on inappropriate body parts, just to make this clear) and actually have quite a good time with them when Paul announces that the time is over and they, unfortunately, have to go back to their hotel. 

The other four leave after a few more hugs and goodbyes but Louis is actually in a discussion about football with one of the girls. She’s a Louis girl and god knows those are the best, so he doesn’t really get that his friends have left already. 

“Louis!”, Paul barks from somewhere near the door and Louis hastily hugs the girls again and promises to follow them on twitter, when one of the girls says it. 

“He wore it again tonight, can you believe it?” 

It’s really quiet and definitely not meant for Louis to hear, but he stops and turns anyways.

“Who wore what again?”, he asks, forehead crinkled in confusion.

The girls giggle lightly before the one he spoke to earlier answers. 

“Harry. He wore the blue bandana again.”

“Yeah, it’s somehow his new favourite accessory”, he says with a roll of his eyes. “What’s up with it?”

The girl just smiles cheekily.

“You should google it”, the first one says again and Louis nods, still confused and finally runs after Paul and the boys.

When he’s later alone in his hotel room he quickly grabs his MacBook and just types “Harry Styles blue bandana” into the google search bar.

The first few posts are not really helping, just some entries what Harry’s wearing at the moment and where you could buy something similar for yourself.

“Who would want that?”, Louis murmurs, with a slight smile on his face. 

Finally a few posts down he sees a question, that could have been copied out of his head.

_What is the bandana thing? I don't get why the blue bandana is so significant?_

It leads to a tumblr post and Louis eagerly clicks the link, scolding himself that he didn’t check tumblr first. This website has the answers to seemingly everything in this crazy fandom. Not that Louis really minds.

He is mentally prepared for a five thousand word essay but to his own surprise he just needs to check one image of what looks like a flyer to answer all his questions. He then remembers Eleanor’s question if Harry had been on tumblr lately.

The answer is a socalled “Bandana Project”, created by and for fans, obviously. They should wear a bandana to the concert they would attend, and the colour of their bandana would represent their favourite member of the band. So every member got assigned to a colour.

And well, blue is Louis' colour.

***

He shouldn’t make such a fuss out of it, but somehow he really appreciates Harry’s more or less public showing of affection towards Louis. 

He’s really happy and simultaneously unbelievably frustrated. Because that is such a sweet gesture. And the fact that Louis is so damn happy about it, means probably that he’s so damn happy that Harry obviously really likes him.

Louis knew that before, of course, but somehow this little thing brings a whole new difference to the topic. 

Louis’ lucky, because three shows after that particular evening, they got into their break, meaning Louis flying back to England to Eleanor and his family and Harry flying to LA before he would come to London again a few days later.

But as soon as the plane touches British ground again, Louis already made a decision. Whatever this is with Harry, he couldn’t continue like that with Eleanor. 

So the break won’t be the best time of his life, that’s for sure.

***

“Hey mum”, he mumbles tiredly when he two days later stumbles into his _home_ and practically just falls into his mother’s waiting arms.

“What’s wrong sweetheart?”, she whispers and strokes his back soothingly. 

Luckily, the girls are still in school, so they would have a few hours to talk.  
He misses his sisters like hell, but he needs this time with his mum now. So they sit down, after Jay made some tea and just enjoy each other’s company. 

“I have to come here more often”, he sighs eventually and Jay just squeezes his hand tightly.

“You’re always welcome, baby, you know that. So how is London? How’s Eleanor?”

“Yeah, I need to talk with you about that. I, erm, I kinda broke up with her.”

Jay’s eyes widen a bit but she doesn’t react any further which Louis is really thankful for.

“It’s just… it wasn’t right you know? I really like her, I do. She’s great, but I don’t think that I love her, mum. I wouldn’t have done all these things I did if I really loved her, right?”

“What things, love?”, his mother asks with a reassuring smile on her face.

“Please don’t hate me now”, Louis sighs shakily and feels how his mum just tightens her grip on his hand.

“Never, sweetheart, you know that.”

“Okay, so, you know that Harry and I fooled around a bit during Xfactor and the Up All Night tour, right?”

She nods with a maybe already knowing look in her eyes. 

“So, we both knew and probably still know that it can’t work out and we don’t have a real _relationship_ but, you know, it never really stopped, this whole thing. Whatever this is. And it got even more in the last weeks and I don’t know why or how and now this whole bandana thing. Have you heard of that? The _fans_ should wear a bandana and its colour should represent their favourite band member. And what does Harry do? Wears a fucking bandana with my colour. I mean, what am I supposed to think about that? Anyways, I ended things with Eleanor because all of that and yeah. Now shout at me, please.”

He eyes his mother, whose facial expressions he really can’t read at the moment, warily. It takes a few seconds until she speaks up again.

“So you’re telling me that you and Harry had sex all around the world while Eleanor sat a home?”

“Muuuum”, Louis whines, and places his head on the table. Really, talking about sex with his mum will never be his favourite activity that’s for sure.

“Sorry, baby, but that’s the punishment for cheating on your girlfriend”, Jay says and to Louis’ surprise, he can definitely hear a smile in her voice.

He dares looking up again and is met by just that. And it’s not a small smile. No, more an all consuming happy grin.

“Oh sweetheart, I know how you two look at each other and I’m proud of you that you’re doing the first step but you two have to talk about the fact, that you love each other.”

“Love?!”, Louis blurts out, shocked but his mother just chuckles lightly.

“Go back to London and talk to him. I think I’ll call Eleanor and check on her. And apologize for the pure stupidity of my son.”

“I deserve that probably.”

“Definitely. Now hush!”

***

It’s the first time in what feels like forever, that Louis uses his spare key to his and Harry’s old flat. It’s only Harry’s flat now and in the last two years Louis was only there when Harry invited him for a movie night and.. well mostly it ended in sex, but whatever.

He decides to wait in the kitchen and prepare some tea before his nerves kill him from the inside. 

It luckily doesn’t take long until he hears the jiggling of a key in the lock of the front door and two minutes later a very confused and very tired looking Harry stands in the kitchen.

Very tired and very cute looking Harry.

“Erm, not that I’m not happy to see you, Lou, but what exactly are you doing in my kitchen?”, he asks with a rough voice and Louis suspects that he probably took a nap in the back of the car on the way from the airport to his flat.

“Was my flat, too, right?”, Louis asks sheepishly and Harry just shrugs, before pulling Louis into a tight hug.

“Missed you”, he mumbles sleepily and Louis melts into the embrace without resistance. It feels as homey as being in Doncaster. And that’s a really crazy achievement. 

“Missed you too”, he answers and tightens his grip before he speaks up again. “I broke up with Eleanor.”

“Oh”, Harry blurts out and draws back of their embrace, to have a better look on Louis’ face. “Why’s that?”

Now Louis is the one who shrugs. “I don’t love her I suppose.”

“That sounds reasonable”, the younger lad nods and Louis’ eyebrows furrow.

“Why are you smiling you dork?”, he asks playfully angry but stays pressed to Harry’s body.

“Dunno”, Harry mumbles and then. 

Leans in. Without thinking, Louis does the same and soon after, their lips are touching.

And fuck, it’s just so soft and comforting and Louis’ heart is beating way too fast and his hands are shaking a bit and if Harry’s grip around his waist wouldn’t be so steady, he would probably just slide onto the floor.

It’s not getting heated, as it gets most of the times. It stays just a very sweet and loving kiss. A light touch of lips, sometimes barely noticeable and it’s good. So, so good.

Cautiously Louis’ leans back after a few minutes of these sweet kisses and takes a deep breath.

“I think you’re the reason why I broke up with her. I… I know, that we said that we’re not a thing but I just… Fuck, Harry. You’re everywhere. And I love that. And I love spending time with you. And I love kissing you just like that, without the sex. And, god, I love having sex with you, that’s probably out of question. And I need you. As my best friend so, I really hope that I don’t destroy something so awesome with you but for one time in my life I have to be honest with myself and-” he pauses, takes another deep breath and stares into Harry’s green eyes, which look so lovingly into Louis’ blue ones, that he finally gains the confidence to say: “I think I’m in love with you, Harry.”

“Fuck, yes”, Harry sighs and Louis would laugh at that, probably snort really unattractively as he always does when Harry tells one of his bad jokes, but he doesn’t even get the chance to do so. Because Harry’s lips are back on his, his face is cupped by Harry’s big hands and Harry’s tongue is pleading Louis to deepen the kiss. 

So that’s that.

***

“Took you both long enough”, is all Niall says, when Louis and Harry finally announce to the boys, that they somehow are in a relationship and want to try it. Like for real, this time. They know they can’t come out right now, but that’s not the most important thing at the moment anyway. The most important thing is, that they are together and they know it and it’s kind of official and the other boys are okay with it.

Speaking of, Zayn and Liam just nod along with small smiles and who would’ve thought that it'd be so amazing to be the boyfriend of Harry Styles?

***

“I love you so much”, Harry whispers later that night, when they’re cuddled together in the bed of another hotel room at some place of the world, they’ve currently forgotten.

“I love you too”, Louis whispers back and feels like he’s on top of the world, when he nuzzles his face into the crook of Harry’s neck and senses the light touch of Harry’s hands, that caress repeatedly over Louis’ naked skin.

“You know what I also love very much?”, Harry suddenly asks.

Louis just shakes his head, but knowing that the answer is either a really bad joke or obnoxiously sappy. Not that he’s complaining.

“My blue bandana, I really love that thing.”

“You - Are - Such - A - Dork”, Louis murmurs and states every word with a light kiss on Harry’s naked torso.

“Oh shut up”, Harry snickers, feeling a tingling sensation running through his body.

“Make me”, Louis grins and well.

That’s that.

**Author's Note:**

> so that was it.
> 
> CHECK OUT THE PROJECT! [ TUMBLR ](http://bandanaproject.tumblr.com/)  
> [ TWITTER ](https://twitter.com/bandanaproject)
> 
> also i don't think any of this can be canon because obviously L&H fell in love the second they me in the stupid bathroom and are now married af.
> 
> kudos/comments would be lovelyyy
> 
> but anyways again some loveeee because after writing about these two i'm so full of love, it's actually disgusting.


End file.
